Original German WWII Luftwaffe Service Worn M43 Einheitsmütze Wool Field Cap Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice example of a Luftwaffe M43 Einheitsmütze Wool field cap, with a great “service worn” look. The cap is constructed of  blue/grey Luftwaffe wool, and has the correct “fold down” skirt for colder weather. It features a single button on the front. to allow more room for the insignia to be seen.

The peak of the cap has a very nice heavily machine embroidered cap eagle, and below this is a very nice embroidered tri-color cockade. The interior of cap in a blue/grey rayon style material on the sides, with a cotton sweatband. Due to wear there are unfortunately no visible markings. The visor is still in good condition, though the cardboard stiffener has many bends and definitely has degraded.

This service worn example definitely shows extensive use, with staining inside and out, as well as wear to the fabric. A great original item with lots of history. Ready to display!

The M43 Einheitsmütze (Unit Cap) is a variety of “Ski Cap” and was based on the Bergmütze (Mountain Hat) used by Austrian and German Gebirgsjäger (Mountain Troops) during WWI. Germany had adopted it in 1915, and after the war it spread throughout the military.

The skirt that surrounds the cap is made in the same wool as the cap, and can be folded down over the ears, though this was rarely done outside of the Mountain troops, which had a double-thickness skirt. The skirt has a small dip in the front quarter with a divide secured by one aluminum button which is covered by an embroidered cockade. The small section in the front quarter was built shorter to show the insignia, and cover the wearer’s chin or mouth, without disturbing breathing by covering the nose. There were also later M43 caps, such as those used by the DAK, that omitted the skirt entirely, as it had little use in the desert heat.